DD needs to add another safety or two with good aid?

[Ann.without.an.e]

First of all, thank ya'll for always being such a wealth of information and help.  I'd be lost without you.  Seriously and for real. :001_wub:  

DD is my oldest and we are finding this whole process daunting.   :mellow:

 

She will apply to:

Wake Forest

Davidson (I know, they don't give top merit to HS kids but their need based aid is enough to give dd a competitive price)

Chapel Hill

NC State

Emory

Duke (it is a reach for everyone, I know, but she wants to try)

Furman

 

She might apply to these reach schools (yes, I know they are a reach for all kids, we get that):

Princeton

Harvard

Yale

 

Someone will ask so here goes...

She has taken two SAT subject tests and should get them back this week (hopefully the scores are good)

-6 AP course and plans to take 3 more next year.  She's had exams for all of these.

-strong extracurriculars with leadership positions, etc.

-won rewards in writing and research

-wants to double major in Biology and English (she isn't sure whether she will apply to med school or go into medical research and writing).

-ACT score is a 35.

 

 

Her favorite school, hands down is Wake Forest.  The place just makes her happy.  It has that inexplicable right feeling.  Her interview there went fantastic.  Her interviewer even emailed her asking for a copy of a writing piece that won a gold key and they had a great email discussion about it.  Ya'll, she loves this school but financially I am afraid of a lack of aid.  

 

So we need to add another safety or two.  For a child who loves Wake and Emory?  Any ideas?  

 

She is applying to Chapel Hill because she was told by someone there to consider it a safety since we are in state BUT she doesn't love that school.  She much prefers NC State BUT they have the highest NPC for us of any school.  Even higher than Wake or Emory :/

 

Elon?  Wofford?  She's stressed about not having enough safe schools.

 

She didn't like W&L or Oxford.  If that helps at all?

 

I really want her to visit some schools up north but we just don't have the $$ right now :(

Edited July 18, 2016 by Attolia

[Gwen in VA]

Strong suggestion -- have her look again at W&L. Yes, it's very Greek, but so are a number of the other schools on your list. Maybe she got a bad tour guide or something?

 

At this point W&L gives a FULL-RIDE scholarship to approximately 10% of the freshman class (for all 4 years, obviously) and gives full-tuition and 1/2-tuition scholarships to another 10% or so. If you are interested in a top academic school with generous merit aid, W&L is your school.

 

My older two both went to W&L. They were independents (the few, the proud.....). They made close friends, were active in several EC's, and had amazing experiences academically. (After majoring in a science, dd was accepted at the #2 grad program in the country in her ENGINEERING field -- and proceeded to get a 4-year NSF grant. Not bad for someone who only had three years of science in high school and started out as a history major!!!) The chemistry department was amazing! Ds spent his junior year at Oxford, expenses paid. W&L also has great funding available to help students with internships. Dd spent a summer in Holland not earning any money, but W&L provided a grant that covered almost all her expenses. Both kids had research positions for several years.

 

Their education was amazing. Ds was actually PAID to attend W&L (seriously, he grossed about $5K per year from his scholarship before taxes) and dd's education cost us about $10K (since she was accepted before the Johnson grant.)

 

I urge you to look at W&L again.

[katilac]

What does she like about Wake Forest? 

[Daria]

William and Mary?  Probably not a safety though.

If she likes NC State, she should apply.  Net Price Calculators can be wrong.

[Ann.without.an.e]

DD just doesn't want to be stuck in a small school that is also so frat and alcohol centered.  It came up in multiple ways.  What is funny is we visited and interviewed the same trip because she liked the idea of W&L so much.  Sitting in the waiting room, browsing their own magazine (written to W&L students), we were reading an article trying to answer the question "Why W&L has double the average anorexia rates?  Its answer was the fact that everything social was centered around frats, sex, and drinking.  Drinking and/or the strong sex culture came up in several ways during the trip.  It seemed a bit over-the-top for dd.  Again, if the school was larger then there would be peer groups that weren't apart of the drinking/sex/party culture but with such a small school she could feel like a total loser if she wasn't interested in participating.  If that makes sense?

 

ETA:  She likes it academically and financially it would be amazing.

 

 

Strong suggestion -- have her look again at W&L. Yes, it's very Greek, but so are a number of the other schools on your list. Maybe she got a bad tour guide or something?

 

At this point W&L gives a FULL-RIDE scholarship to approximately 10% of the freshman class (for all 4 years, obviously) and gives full-tuition and 1/2-tuition scholarships to another 10% or so. If you are interested in a top academic school with generous merit aid, W&L is your school.

 

My older two both went to W&L. They were independents (the few, the proud.....). They made close friends, were active in several EC's, and had amazing experiences academically. (After majoring in a science, dd was accepted at the #2 grad program in the country in her ENGINEERING field -- and proceeded to get a 4-year NSF grant. Not bad for someone who only had three years of science in high school and started out as a history major!!!) The chemistry department was amazing! Ds spent his junior year at Oxford, expenses paid. W&L also has great funding available to help students with internships. Dd spent a summer in Holland not earning any money, but W&L provided a grant that covered almost all her expenses. Both kids had research positions for several years.

 

Their education was amazing. Ds was actually PAID to attend W&L (seriously, he grossed about $5K per year from his scholarship before taxes) and dd's education cost us about $10K (since she was accepted before the Johnson grant.)

 

I urge you to look at W&L again.

 

Edited July 18, 2016 by Attolia

[Ann.without.an.e]

William and Mary?  Probably not a safety though.

 

If she likes NC State, she should apply.  Net Price Calculators can be wrong.

 

 

She would love W&M but being out of state it will be $$ and it isn't a safety.

[katilac]

Have you tried Find a College at College Confidential? You can input criteria to get a list of colleges, including being high stats for that college (so likely to get aid). Also size, location, majors, lots of stuff. 

[Ann.without.an.e]

What does she like about Wake Forest? 

 

 

She likes the campus a lot.  This girl has no built in GPS but the campus is easy to navigate.  The students seem studious but happy.  That seems to be a balance we just couldn't find many places.  Wake is strong in her majors, being a top school for both Bio and English.  They have a lovely literary magazine, and she really wants to work on staff for a school literary magazine.  It isn't too small, but not too big.  They have a fantastic art program, she loves art.  While it won't be a major or minor, she still wants to be involved with fine art.  It is the perfect distance from home (less than 2 hours).

[Ann.without.an.e]

Have you tried Find a College at College Confidential? You can input criteria to get a list of colleges, including being high stats for that college (so likely to get aid). Also size, location, majors, lots of stuff. 

 

 

Ya'll know I'm afraid of that place.  I will surely get sucked in and never return  :lol:   Ok, I'll check it out.  If I don't return then I was eaten by the CC monster or it stressed me so bad I didn't get out of bed.  

[katilac]

DD just doesn't want to be stuck in a small school that is also so frat and alcohol centered.   

 

Is she okay with a somewhat bigger school than Wake Forest, then? Going to mid-size rather than small opens up many more choices. 

 

If she has an excellent GPA as well, that with her ACT scores would get her guaranteed scholarships at several of the Alabama schools, with additional competitive scholarships possible. And they do have ranked schools: University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, #96; University of Alabama in Huntsville, #187; U of A in Birmingham, #149. 

 

My dd will be attending UAH in the fall. They are mid-sized, about six thousand students, and have majors in biology and writing. Both majors are part of the JUMP program, which lets you take graduate courses as an undergrad. Friendly school, friendly city. Every student has a private bedroom. My dd got full tuition and housing with a 4.0 GPA and 34 ACT; we pay for her meal plan, about $4,000 per year. We have high hopes for the honors college, love the dean! 

 

Obviously I am biased, but take a look! 

[8filltheheart]

Definitely not a safety, but Vanderbilt gives out a handful of top merit $$ scholarships.

 

In terms of financial safeties, I'll echo katilac and suggest applying to Bama. Our ds is attending on full scholarship (similar to what Gwen describes). Their CBH program has been a huge blessing (it is an elite honors research program. They accept 40 students per yr and they are given the computer skills necessary for performing research, access to research mentors, give multiple research presentations, etc.). For students entering at an advanced level, they also have a university scholars program where UGs can earn their master's simultaneously with their bachelor's.

 

In terms of low cost, it might be worth checking out. (Cost is what got him there. Free matched our budget. But, he absolutely loves it.)

Edited July 18, 2016 by 8FillTheHeart

[Gwen in VA]

Alcohol is a sad part of the college experience these days. If it didn't come up in an orientation talk or tour, it is merely because it is hidden at the college, not because it doesn't exist. It's ubiquitous.

 

I've had four kids who attended four schools (yes, two attended the same school but one transferred), and "nearly" attended another (so we attended the summer orientation). Only one of those schools didn't have a pretty serious alcohol problem -- and that school has had a cluster of suicides recently and other parents of students there assure me that the only reason my child didn't see the alcohol culture there is because she didn't live in the dorm.

 

Perhaps my funniest college visit was to a big-name university that assured the folks in our admissions talk that alcohol was not tolerated on campus. Period. During the subsequent campus tour we came across a bunch of drunk fraternity guys playing frisbee, and in the process one slid, lost his pants, and accidentally mooned the tour group. The scene was so bad it was funny. The embarrassed tour guide assured us that security would take care of that in no time flat. Forty-five minutes later we returned, and the scene was just as before (minus the mooning). Appalled, my kids didn't apply to the college, but in hindsight I think that particular college was just caught with its pants down (so to speak). It probably had no more or less of an alcohol culture than any other school, but that visit certainly made my kids' minds up about that university.

 

A bad visit certainly leaves a bad taste -- and you need some way to eliminate schools!

[creekland]

A top student from our school who ended up choosing (and loving) Wake Forest had U Miami (FL) as her very close second choice.  Either were free for her due to stats/merit aid.  U Miami is reportedly (meaning I haven't checked myself) pretty good with both types of aid, so could be worth a look.

 

Otherwise, I second those who suggest checking out the Alabama schools as safeties - and applying to NC State anyway if she loves it - just to see.

[creekland]

ps  That same student in my pp also got accepted to Stanford, but turned them down since she needed/wanted merit aid and a full ride was more important to her than prestige.  She loved Stanford though.  It would have been her first choice had costs not factored in.  I believe Stanford is very good with need based aid (again, not sure, so others can chime in if I'm wrong).  If you're going to shoot for Ivies, consider Stanford too.

[snowbeltmom]

 

 

She might apply to these reach schools (yes, I know they are a reach for all kids, we get that):

Princeton

Harvard

Yale

 

Those reach schools, especially Harvard and Princeton, are known to have very generous need-based aid for families that are in the "donut hole" category at other schools.  If you are happy with the NPC results at the Ivies on your list, you may want to also consider adding a couple of other reach schools - Williams and Amherst to the list as these two schools are also generous with need-based aid and both are consider excellent for pre-med. 

 

[Ann.without.an.e]

Is she okay with a somewhat bigger school than Wake Forest, then? Going to mid-size rather than small opens up many more choices. 

 

If she has an excellent GPA as well, that with her ACT scores would get her guaranteed scholarships at several of the Alabama schools, with additional competitive scholarships possible. And they do have ranked schools: University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, #96; University of Alabama in Huntsville, #187; U of A in Birmingham, #149. 

 

My dd will be attending UAH in the fall. They are mid-sized, about six thousand students, and have majors in biology and writing. Both majors are part of the JUMP program, which lets you take graduate courses as an undergrad. Friendly school, friendly city. Every student has a private bedroom. My dd got full tuition and housing with a 4.0 GPA and 34 ACT; we pay for her meal plan, about $4,000 per year. We have high hopes for the honors college, love the dean! 

 

Obviously I am biased, but take a look! 

 

 

Wake has almost 5,000 undergrads so it sounds like UAH is similar.  She is actually more okay with bigger than she is smaller.  She's so nervous about getting stuck in a small school and not having like minded peers.   I'll have her take a look at it.  Thanks.  

[Ann.without.an.e]

Those reach schools, especially Harvard and Princeton, are known to have very generous need-based aid for families that are in the "donut hole" category at other schools.  If you are happy with the NPC results at the Ivies on your list, you may want to also consider adding a couple of other reach schools - Williams and Amherst to the list as these two schools are also generous with need-based aid and both are consider excellent for pre-med. 

 

 

 

Yes, this is why dd will apply - the net price calculations for ivies will be awesome and involve no loans.  It would be way more expensive for her to go to State and she would have a loan there too.  Not all Ivies have the same aid though.  If I remember right, Brown, Cornell, etc all calculate loans into their packages and their aid isn't quite as good.  DD will be a first generation college student too and Ivies tend to like that (if you have the stats).

[Ann.without.an.e]

Is she okay with a somewhat bigger school than Wake Forest, then? Going to mid-size rather than small opens up many more choices. 

 

If she has an excellent GPA as well, that with her ACT scores would get her guaranteed scholarships at several of the Alabama schools, with additional competitive scholarships possible. And they do have ranked schools: University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, #96; University of Alabama in Huntsville, #187; U of A in Birmingham, #149. 

 

My dd will be attending UAH in the fall. They are mid-sized, about six thousand students, and have majors in biology and writing. Both majors are part of the JUMP program, which lets you take graduate courses as an undergrad. Friendly school, friendly city. Every student has a private bedroom. My dd got full tuition and housing with a 4.0 GPA and 34 ACT; we pay for her meal plan, about $4,000 per year. We have high hopes for the honors college, love the dean! 

 

Obviously I am biased, but take a look! 

 

 

I meant to ask too - is your dd in state for AL?  Can you apply directly to the honors college?  Is this what your dd did?

The NPC is pretty good.  

 

DS wants to go into computer science and UAH might be a great fit for him - he's only going into 10th grade though.

 

Thanks :)

Edited July 18, 2016 by Attolia

[Daria]

Yes, this is why dd will apply - the net price calculations for ivies will be awesome and involve no loans. It would be way more expensive for her to go to State and she would have a loan there too. Not all Ivies have the same aid though. If I remember right, Brown, Cornell, etc all calculate loans into their packages and their aid isn't quite as good. DD will be a first generation college student too and Ivies tend to like that (if you have the stats).

If she is in the position where a school meeting full need would be affordable, then I would pull up the full need list and explore other schools on it. There are lots of nice options there.

[KarenNC]

Elon isn't known for good merit aid. Their financial aid page says, "You may receive larger scholarships and need based awards from other schools. We simply ask that you compare the bottom line and the quality of education that you will be receiving. If you enroll, our commitment is that you will receive the best possible education for the most reasonable possible cost." I didn't find that particularly encouraging.

 

I admit I am a bit surprised to see Wofford in this list, as I didn't think it was quite in the same league as the others on your list.

 

Has she considered UNCC? Their Levine Scholarship is pretty amazing. http://levinescholars.uncc.edu/

Edited July 18, 2016 by KarenNC

[8filltheheart]

This is a good source for meets need schools.

http://www.thecollegesolution.com/schools-that-meet-100-of-financial-need-2/

Edited July 18, 2016 by 8FillTheHeart

[Hoggirl]

Ya'll, she loves this school but financially I am afraid of a lack of aid.

 

 

 

Can you elaborate on this?

 

I am trying to get a grasp on where you are financially. Have you run NPCs at all schools? It sounds as though you have and that high-end elites come in the most affordable for you. The trick, of course, is getting in. Why are you concerned about lack of aid at Wake Forest?

 

The link that 8 supplied is very helpful. As you read more detail beyond the actual list you see that "meets 100% of need," can (and often does) include loans. I think it is VERY important at this juncture to have a VERY frank discussion with your dd about what you can and cannot afford and what level of borrowing you find to be acceptable for her and for you as a family. I am a huge fan of saying to a student, "We can afford $_______ per year toward your education." As you well know, the schools all calculate need by *their* definitions, not yours. I have seen far too many kids disappointed by being gapped. The "We'll have to see what happens financially" approach works fine for some students but not all. It's just about impossible to keep a kid from falling in love with a school, but if it's not affordable from the get-go that MUST be communicated. I realize that that can't always be known due to competitive scholarships. I don't know if Wake has those or not. But if the answer is, "We will only be able to afford this if you receive the Tippy-top-highest-merit-award," that needs to be spelled out. For some schools, it may be known from the get-go that they are simply unaffordable. Not saying that's the case for you - I'm just throwing that out there. Magical thinking is detrimental to all.

 

Is distance important? Is she likely to be NM?

 

UNC is a fabulous school. I hate to hear that her preferred NC State is the more expensive in-state option of the two.

Edited July 18, 2016 by Hoggirl

[KarenNC]

Since you are considering Wofford and Furman, have you checked any of the SC state schools? I can't say for sure about all, but at least some like Winthrop have automatic scholarships based on stats that provide in-state tuition plus merit money. USC has two competitive ones that give in-state plus $11K and $15K. 

 

Clemson?

Edited July 18, 2016 by KarenNC

[8filltheheart]

Can you elaborate on this?

.....

As you read more detail beyond the actual list you see that "meets 100% of need," can (and often does) include loans. I think it is VERY important at this juncture to have a VERY frank discussion with your dd about what you can and cannot afford and what level of borrowing you find to be acceptable for her and for you as a family. I am a huge fan of saying to a student, "We can afford $_______ per year toward your education." As you well know, the schools all calculate need by *their* definitions, not yours. I have seen far too many kids disappointed by being gapped......

 

 

I wondered about this, too.  I had originally mentioned it but deleted that part of my post b/c it sounded as if they knew they could afford their familial contribution.

 

I know for our family that that is absolutely not the case.  Even at schools like Stanford we are gapped beyond our ability to really pay.

 

When that happens, stepping down in ranking and seeking high merit is really about the only realistic option.

 

Bama is a great option for kids in that situation (if they offer your major.  Doesn't work for my sr.)

[Ann.without.an.e]

Elon isn't known for good merit aid. Their financial aid page says, "You may receive larger scholarships and need based awards from other schools. We simply ask that you compare the bottom line and the quality of education that you will be receiving. If you enroll, our commitment is that you will receive the best possible education for the most reasonable possible cost." I didn't find that particularly encouraging.

 

I admit I am a bit surprised to see Wofford in this list, as I didn't think it was quite in the same league as the others on your list.

 

Has she considered UNCC? Their Levine Scholarship is pretty amazing. http://levinescholars.uncc.edu/

 

 

I think Wofford would have good aid with her stats?  Not sure?  Totally just a random thought.  I haven't looked into it.

 

UNCC - we hadn't really thought of it.  DD did just get some info on the Levine Scholarship yesterday and was perusing it.  It might be worth checking into.  Thanks 

[lmrich]

I know Berry College in Rome, GA has a very friendly homeschool admissions office and is generous with aid. It is a lovely campus. Several private schools offer big scholarships; she will just need to apply for them. 

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Miami University (Ohio) has good automatic scholarships.  If your dd has strong test scores, that might be a good choice.

 

Several members of my family attended there.  It has Greek houses, but also has a lot of people who aren't.  One relative went from Miami into a combined MA/PhD program for physics at a very competitive university.  

 

I like that the scholarships take into account the fact that OOS student pay higher tuition.  So a 1/2 tuition scholarship is 1/2 of the OOS tuition, not a flat dollar amount.  http://miamioh.edu/admission/merit-grid/

 

 

[Ann.without.an.e]

She's very careful with money so she wouldn't want to go deep into debt for any school.  Period.  This is why she loves Wake but she isn't setting her heart on it and she is shopping.  She refused to apply ED because she wants to look at finances.  For some reason, Wake calculates her loan at 7,500 instead of 5,500.  They are our second highest NP, just under State.  Granted, most people with the price we will be looking at for Wake would be giddy, but there is a reason our NP isn't too high.  We aren't poor but we aren't really in the position to fork over money for college.  Especially with four kids.  That being said, she is competitive for merit aid at Wake and that may change the scenario drastically.  

 

DD thinks that taking out the 5,500 a year loan is reasonable.  With most schools that means she takes out the 5,500 a year loan and we are left with around 3,000-5,500 to pay.  The awesome thing about the schools without loans is that we can just pay our part and she is debt free.  That's nice.  Wake's loan is higher for her AND they want us to fork over 8,000 a year and that is a stretch for us.  I'm not sure we can d that.  Again, merit aid might happen and if so....all is good.

 

 

Can you elaborate on this?

I am trying to get a grasp on where you are financially. Have you run NPCs at all schools? It sounds as though you have and that high-end elites come in the most affordable for you. The trick, of course, is getting in. Why are you concerned about lack of aid at Wake Forest?

The link that 8 supplied is very helpful. As you read more detail beyond the actual list you see that "meets 100% of need," can (and often does) include loans. I think it is VERY important at this juncture to have a VERY frank discussion with your dd about what you can and cannot afford and what level of borrowing you find to be acceptable for her and for you as a family. I am a huge fan of saying to a student, "We can afford $_______ per year toward your education." As you well know, the schools all calculate need by *their* definitions, not yours. I have seen far too many kids disappointed by being gapped. The "We'll have to see what happens financially" approach works fine for some students but not all. It's just about impossible to keep a kid from falling in love with a school, but if it's not affordable from the get-go that MUST be communicated. I realize that that can't always be known due to competitive scholarships. I don't know if Wake has those or not. But if the answer is, "We will only be able to afford this if you receive the Tippy-top-highest-merit-award," that needs to be spelled out. For some schools, it may be known from the get-go that they are simply unaffordable. Not saying that's the case for you - I'm just throwing that out there. Magical thinking is detrimental to all.

Is distance important? Is she likely to be NM?

UNC is a fabulous school. I hate to hear that her preferred NC State is the more expensive in-state option of the two.

 

Edited July 18, 2016 by Attolia

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Ya'll know I'm afraid of that place.  I will surely get sucked in and never return  :lol:   Ok, I'll check it out.  If I don't return then I was eaten by the CC monster or it stressed me so bad I didn't get out of bed.  

 

You can use the college search engine without getting into the chat boards.  I like the search engine, because you can tweak so many different aspects of a college.  It lets you mark what you want in a category, but also indicate how important that factor is to you.

 

With the chat forums, just keep in mind that a significant number of posters are high school students.  They may know their own stats intimately, but don't necessarily have insight into what an admissions office is looking for.  

[Ann.without.an.e]

You know a school that she just loves on paper and when she gets their info she pores over it?  Oberlin.  Any thoughts on Oberlin?

[teachermom2834]

Not sure if you mentioned if she looked at Vanderbilt.  It has the prestige factor and it is really good with financial aid.  Rumor is they are homeschool friendly as well.  My ds was not in range for admission academically but I did run the net price calculator and it always came in lower than anywhere else including state schools.  They are 100% need met without loans and it appears their formula is generous as it came in much lower than other schools that make the same claim. Seems locally that those that are able to get in there get fantastic aid packages.  I don't know much more as my ds is not that caliber of an applicant but I checked it out a couple times and I never found another net price calculation to come in as favorable as Vandy. 

 

It isn't an admissions safety much for anyone (a friend with 34 ACT, NM, several APs, etc. did not get in last year) but your dd surely seems like a likely admit.  

[Ann.without.an.e]

It is mentioned often.  We really need to visit Vandy.  We really do.  I think I will talk to DH about that.

 

Thanks

 

 

Not sure if you mentioned if she looked at Vanderbilt.  It has the prestige factor and it is really good with financial aid.  Rumor is they are homeschool friendly as well.  My ds was not in range for admission academically but I did run the net price calculator and it always came in lower than anywhere else including state schools.  They are 100% need met without loans and it appears their formula is generous as it came in much lower than other schools that make the same claim. Seems locally that those that are able to get in there get fantastic aid packages.  I don't know much more as my ds is not that caliber of an applicant but I checked it out a couple times and I never found another net price calculation to come in as favorable as Vandy. 

 

It isn't an admissions safety much for anyone (a friend with 34 ACT, NM, several APs, etc. did not get in last year) but your dd surely seems like a likely admit.  

 

[Daria]

You know a school that she just loves on paper and when she gets their info she pores over it?  Oberlin.  Any thoughts on Oberlin?

 

I've only heard wonderful things about Oberlin, and they meet full need.  

 

Two colleges that I have heard have similar feeling to Oberlin, but are less selective so may offer more merit aid are Lawrence and Saint Olaf.  

[8filltheheart]

With Oberlin I would want to make sure my child was comfortable with cultural climate. With schools that small fit is probably more important than larger population schools.

[Hoggirl]

Not a safety, but what about Rice? They have a lower starting price point than many of their peer institutions. When we visited (wow, four years ago now) the loans included in packages were purposefully kept *below* Stafford loans. Enrollment is a bit smaller - 3,600 or so? No Greeks and with a residential housing system. NB - they care about demonstrated interest. Don't know about English, but the Bio should be good. Ds received $21,500 per year in merit there. But, if you also qualified for aid, they might work financially for you. Supplement is long but kinda fun.

[fdrinca]

Mentioning Oberlin makes me wonder if she's looked at other LAC. Swarthmore has a reputation for generous aid.

[JanetC]

When looking for safety school - Have your run the college board EFC estimator? It will tell you how much need you "demonstrate" under both the Profile (IM) and FAFSA (FM) methodologies.

 

Assuming that you can afford your EFC, you look for a meets full need school and run the NPC. (I have a friend who's definitely getting NPCs to return costs below her EFC by about 25%, but the schools are definitely admissions reaches.)

 

If you cannot afford your EFC, you are looking for a merit aid school. In this case, what is your home state and your budget? You are looking for a school where the maximum merit award will have to bring the costs below your budget or the school will be somewhere (probably instate public) where the cost of attendance is within reach without scholarships. (But with a 35, she should be getting scholarships!)

[Lanny]

I meant to ask too - is your dd in state for AL?  Can you apply directly to the honors college?  Is this what your dd did?

The NPC is pretty good.  

 

DS wants to go into computer science and UAH might be a great fit for him - he's only going into 10th grade though.

 

Thanks :)

 

Like your DS, my DD is just starting 10th grade.   I am just beginning to be looking into this and there is a ton of information on College Confidential, as you know, that will be extremely useful.  UAH is interesting. I worked tin Huntsville, on a temporary job assignment once.  I prefer smaller cities and would prefer to see DD at a school in a smaller city.   Lots to learn here on WTM and on CC!  GL to your DD with her selection!

[katilac]

I meant to ask too - is your dd in state for AL?  Can you apply directly to the honors college?  Is this what your dd did?

The NPC is pretty good.  

 

DS wants to go into computer science and UAH might be a great fit for him - he's only going into 10th grade though.

 

Thanks :)

 

No, she is out of state. 

 

You apply to the school and to the honors college separately. You are in your academic college, say College of Engineering, and also in Honors College. 

[Pawz4me]

DS was accepted at Wake Forest. His final choice came down to them and Chapel Hill, but he was really leaning fairly strongly toward CH. Wake met our "need" but our EFC is so high that wasn't saying much. And meeting our "need" included a loan. Paying full freight at CH and staying at Granville (private dorm) cost us less than half what it would have cost for DS to attend Wake. Also, one of his friends who also has excellent stats and who we gathered had an EFC much less than ours was very disappointed in the offer Wake made. She appealed and was in so many words told "too bad." She is also at CH and from what we understand got a pretty good need based package.

 

You might consider the University of South Carolina. DS used it as a safety. We were impressed by the school and the honors programs. They offered DS in state tuition right off the bat and their letter emphasized that was their initial price and we should anticipate more merit aid. DS decided on CH and declined their offer before we learned how much more they would have given him. 

 

We toured Elon with youngest DS. None of us were all that impressed, so we didn't pay much attention to their financial spiel.

 

(ETA: I'd caution you to NOT consider Chapel Hill as a safety school. DS had similar stats as your DD and we certainly didn't assume it was a sure thing. I don't think that's a wise thing for anyone to do, even in state. We know one student who was turned down at CH and received a full ride to Duke, as well as several other very high stats kids who weren't admitted. All in state kids.)

Edited July 19, 2016 by Pawz4me

[GoodGrief]

I may have missed some details that came up during the discussion. Did your daughter take the PSAT and is she likely NMSF/Finalist? Does she know what she will study? I'm not entirely clear on what constitutes a financial safety for you; do keep in mind that there can be costs that aren't necessarily reflected in some of the schools' financial calculators.

 

If she is likely NMF, I'd definitely toss in a couple of the schools that have great deals for the finalists: University of Oklahoma offers five years, including summers, of full tuition, plus additional money that makes it very affordable. University of Kentucky has a full-ish ride (I qualify their deal, because they seem to do a good bit of nickel and diming), and unbelievably nice housing options. Baylor University (religious school) offers full tuition (and participating in Invitation to Excellence creates the opportunity to compete for a full ride.)

 

In general, I always think it is a good idea to have an affordable in-state school. A lot can happen in a year as far as health, etc, and it's wise to have the option.

 

My daughter's best deal ultimately came from a school that seemed unaffordable initially, when she was offered a full ride plus other benefits late in April (she ultimately did not attend there though). Those competitive scholarships can be game changers, but you definitely want some reassuring financial safeties ready to go. And if you are like us, and can't really swing visits until late in the process, it's wise to have a few, because they really can seem different in-person.

Edited July 19, 2016 by Gr8lander

[Ann.without.an.e]

I may have missed some details that came up during the discussion. Did your daughter take the PSAT and is she likely NMSF/Finalist? Does she know what she will study? I'm not entirely clear on what constitutes a financial safety for you; do keep in mind that there can be costs that aren't necessarily reflected in some of the schools' financial calculators.

 

If she is likely NMF, I'd definitely toss in a couple of the schools that have great deals for the finalists: University of Oklahoma offers five years, including summers, of full tuition, plus additional money that makes it very affordable. University of Kentucky has a full-ish ride (I qualify their deal, because they seem to do a good bit of nickel and diming), and unbelievably nice housing options. Baylor University (religious school) offers full tuition (and participating in Invitation to Excellence creates the opportunity to compete for a full ride.)

 

In general, I always think it is a good idea to have an affordable in-state school. A lot can happen in a year as far as health, etc, and it's wise to have the option.

 

My daughter's best deal ultimately came from a school that seemed unaffordable initially, when she was offered a full ride plus other benefits late in April (she ultimately did not attend there though). Those competitive scholarships can be game changers, but you definitely want some reassuring financial safeties ready to go. And if you are like us, and can't really swing visits until late in the process, it's wise to have a few, because they really can seem different in-person.

 

 

We don't know about NMS yet.  Because the scoring changed this year, there is really no telling.  I'm guessing she didn't make the cut off for semi-finalist.  She had just had intense surgery and she was still super floaty in the head :(   She did well and was in the top 1% but I'm not sure she was high enough for semi-finalist.  I think she did better sophomore year than junior year.  If that makes sense?

 

She wants to double major in bio and english.  If she gets NM then we will definitely look into a school that caters to that.  

 

I also wish we could afford some more visits but we just can't right now.  We've gone to many of the schools within a 3-4 hour drive of us and we got up to W&L but we just can't fork over the money to visit the ivies, Boston University, Rice, or some other schools that pique her interest.  I hate that because I know they take interest into account for some of those schools.

I've considered trying to get her to Vandy.  

Edited July 19, 2016 by Attolia

[*LC]

I have to agree with the advice not to consider either North Carolina or North Carolina State as too much of a safety. I recently saw a distant relative who now lives in North Carolina. As some of our kids are college age, we were talking about college/money etc. Those schools both have a holistic review, so acceptances/rejections can be unexpected. Her next door neighbor was accepted to UNC but rejected at NC State. If I remember the story correctly, the older sibling had the exact opposite experience. (He does attend NC State, while the sister attends UNC.)

 

She mentioned someone going to Appalachian State for good financial aid.

 

I have a neighbor who wanted to go out-of-state for school and looked at needs met schools to make it work financially. Two of her acceptances were UNC and Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt's offer was 3 or 5 thousand (a year) better than UNC's offer. In the end, she ended up at a different/closer out-of-state public school, where the offer was within hundreds of Vanderbilt. This school isn't one that meets need or appears of the lists of automatic merit. However, she received great merit aid there. So, you never know.

 

Also, my daughter's friend went out-of-state to Rice to major in English, with the plan to then go to grad school to be a teacher. She ended up transferring to our in-state flagship, so she could get her undergrad in English education.

[Hoggirl]

OP - is your daughter a rising junior or a rising senior?

[JanetC]

 This school isn't one that meets need or appears of the lists of automatic merit. However, she received great merit aid there. So, you never know.

 

 

The whole point of a safety is that you /do/ know. If you aren't pretty darn sure you will get in at a price you can afford, it is not a safety.

 

[Ann.without.an.e]

OP - is your daughter a rising junior or a rising senior?

 

 

Senior

[Hoggirl]

^Thanks. I got confused somewhere along the way!

 

I agree 100% with JanetC